Black Belt Network
Meet some of the black belts in our network. Here you will find profiles and geographical information on some of the dan-rank practitioners either already instructing in NAKF/NACKC clubs, or available to step in and lend a hand at need. We will be adding to this list on a regular basis and generally have more people available to run classes than classes for them to run, so if you need someone, please contact us.
Pasquale Antonante is a Ph.D. candidate at MIT, affiliated with the Laboratory for Information & Decision Systems (LIDS), and the AeroAstro department. His research interests include safe and trustworthy robotic perception with applications to autonomous vehicles. He started to practice Shotokan karate when he was 10 in Italy and is 1st Dan under Master Angelo Potere. He trained with Master Hiroshi Shirai among others. He was part of the regional kata team and competed at the national level. He serves as a club officer at the MIT Shotokan Karate Club. Location: Cambridge, MA
Noah Benevides began training in the martial arts at the age of 5. While always training in Shotokan Karate first and foremost, he has gained experience in other arts such as Judo, Boxing, and Muay Thai over the years. He has earned the rank of Sandan in Shotokan under the AIKA, and trains regularly at both the UMass Dartmouth Shotokan Karate club under Renshi Tony Benevides, and Almeida’s Shotokan Karate School under Hanshi John Almeida and Sensei John Almeida, Jr. He also has experience competing in different tournament styles including Shotokan, Kyokushin, and Open Tournaments. Location: Fall River, MA and Willimantic, CT
Tony Benevides is a Sr. Quality Assurance Analyst for Voya Financial. He is a five-time winner of the President’s Volunteer Service Award as a Bronze medalist for his years of involvement as a Baseball and Track and Field Coach. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering. He began his martial arts training at the age of 6 under Judo and traditional Jujitsu Master, Mr. Bernie Wood. In 1989, after a hiatus from Judo, Tony joined the Southeastern Massachusetts Universities’ (now UMD) Shotokan Karate Club as a member of the NECKC (now NACKC.) Tony became a club officer in 1990 and was team captain from 1992 – 1994. In 2003 Tony took over as the chief instructor at UMD. Tony went on to form Otaku Karate, a mobile dojo concept where he can work with a number of the former UMD students to help continue their karate training at different locations. Tony’s complete NAKF registry entry is here. Location: Southeastern MA
Jordan Berry earned 8th dan under Master Tabata. He boxed in the Silver Gloves from the ages of 10 to 16, started his martial arts training at the Olympic Karate Institute in Lynn under the instruction of Sensei Clint Berry and then trained at the Bushido Kai in Medford with Senseis’ Cosmo Capobianco, Sam DeMarco, Nago Matsuyama and Master Tabata. He has competed in AAU tournaments, national competitions and Japan. He taught Karate at Jordan Berry’s Northeast Karate Club, North Suburban YMCA in Reading, and the YMCA in Lynn, MA. He is the current co-Chief Instructor of the NAKF. Location: Topsfield, MA
Charles Butterfield originally started his martial arts training in Judo in high school. In 1974 one of Master Tabata’s students, Alex Outerbridge Sensei, started teaching Shotokan at the same school and he immediately switched as he loved Outbridge Sensei’s dynamics and ways. Once he completed high school and Alex Outerbridge moved away, he tried out Bak Sil Lum Kung Fu with Sifu Al Wharton. After a year he moved again as his heart was with Shotokan, and joined Burnell Williams Sensei, who was also one of Master Tabata’s students. Here he also studied Jiu Jitsu. During this period Charles would train with Princeton Bailey Sensei and Jerry Bailey Sensei on the old railroad tracks in our neighborhood. In 1978 the three ventured out and opened a school at Francis Patton where they taught many students over the years. Read Sensei Butterfield’s entire bio here. Location: Bermuda
Chesley Chen began training with Tabata Sensei in September 1974 as a member of the Tufts Karate Club, earning his 2nd Kyu in 1978. After Tufts, Chesley drifted away from karate to do other things like go to grad school at MIT and Harvard, marry and raise a family, and do other sports like bike racing, rock climbing, and running up mountains. He reengaged with Shotokan Karate in 2015 at Doshi-kai in Acton, training with NAKF President Greg Cumings. A year later, he began training again with Tabata Sensei and the Tufts Karate Club. In September 2017, Sensei promoted him to Shodan. It only took Chesley 43 years…so never give up! Ches is current NAKF Director of Alumnae Relations. Location: Concord, MA
Greg Cumings is a Broker with Prevu Real Estate and has been studying karate for over forty years. He is a graduate of Boston University and currently holds the position of President of the North American Karate Federation. He is a Yondan (4th degree) under Master Kazumi Tabata and Tabata-Ha and Sandan (3rd Degree) under Master Nagao Matsuyama and Doshi Kai. He currently co-teaches at the MIT Shotokan Karate Club as well as Doshi Kai in Acton, MA. He also trained at the Nihon Karate Kyokai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo from 1998-2002. Greg is the current NAKF President. Location: Sturbridge, MA
Robert Harb has been teaching Shotokan Karate for over 48 years and holds the rank of 7th dan from Master Kazumi Tabata. He also holds a second degree black belt in Kyokushinkai-Kan and a kyu rank in Kodokan Judo. He was a co-founder of the Boston University Shotokan Karate-Do Club and is a former member of the North American Karate-Do Club International Karate Team and the New England AAU Karate Team. He has competed for many years at karate tournaments and events at all levels and holds local, regional and national trophies and medals for kumite, kata and weapons. He is a former AAU Nationally Certified Karate Judge. Harb has also been twice a Coach of the North American Collegiate Karate Conference International Karate Team who competed in Tokyo, Japan. In 2022, Harb was inducted into the USAKF Hall of Fame as a Coach, Official and Administrator for his lifelong work in the martial arts. Location: Haverhill, MA
Sadaharu Honda was Captain of the Waseda University Karate Club (Sensei Tabata’s alma mater) and trained with some of the great names of Shotokan Karate. He achieved San-Dan (3rd degree) – the highest rank awarded to active students by Waseda University – in 1962. After graduation, he obtained 5th dan from Kamata Watanabe in 1976. He is the founder and Saiko Shihan (Chief Instructor) of Mumon Shotokan. His full biography, too lengthy for this page, can be found on Mumon’s page, here. He was the subject of our Feature Friday on January 14, 2022. Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Chip Katcoff is a small businessman who started in martial arts with a short stint of practice in Shaolin Long-Fist Kung-Fu and Yang and Chen style Tai Chi Chuan before finding his home in Shotokan Karate-Do in the late 1980’s at Boston University. He practiced with Master Tabata in college clubs like BU and MIT, the old Kneeland Street dojo, one-on-one, and in small sessions such as the infamous “Concrete Dojo.” He also worked for Master Tabata in a business setting and traveled with him for karate. His experience has also included long-time practice with Doshi Kai under Master Nagao Matsuyama and semi-regular practice with JKA clubs. He has taught the Tufts University Shotokan Karate Club and has dan rank. Location: North Suburban Boston
James Lee is the undergraduate dean and department chair of natural and applied sciences at Cambridge College, and is co-founder and head instructor of the Cambridge College Karate Club. He began training in Tabata-Ha Shotokan karate at age ten, and later served as senpai and team captain under Master Shigeru Takashina at the University of Miami. His passion for strengthening communities through education has led him around the world; teaching and conducting research in Asia, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean. James holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Miami, a master’s in natural sciences from Harvard, and a doctorate in education from Northeastern University. James’s complete NAKF registry entry is here. Location: Concord, MA
Andrea McKey started Martial Arts at Francis Patton School around 2000 under the direction of Princeton Bailey Sensei, Jerry Bailey Sensei and Charles Butterfield Sensei. In 2008 she obtained her black belt and was the first female in the school’s 30 year history to achieve the rank. Under Master Tabata she received my 2nd Dan and 3rd Dan which was an honour. She is currently a 4th Dan. She have competed in many tournaments in Bermuda and overseas and was nominated for a book Who’s Who in Martial Arts in the USA. She has also been nominated for an Instructors Award which was presented to her in January 2020 at the World Cup Finals in Virginia. Read Sensei McKey’s entire bio here. Location: Bermuda
George Noone currently holds the rank of 7th Dan. He started his martial arts training with Sensei Tabata in 1970 while a student at Lowell Technological Institute in Lowell, MA. During this time, he took over as the second president of the NECKC (now the NACKC) directing the college tournaments and conference activities. He was captain of the Lowell Tech Karate team winning the college tournament for kata in 1974. After graduating, he completed his MBA at the University of Lowell (now UMass-Lowell) in 1982 and was elected as president of the NAKF president, a role he held for over 30 years. As president of the NAKF, he directed the annual tournaments which included both regional and international competitors. He was also on the committee which formed AAU- Karate for the New England area and served as a certified judge /referee for that organization. As a tournament competitor he won numerous medals in both kata, kumite, and weapons and was recognized by Karate Illustrated magazine in the top ten for the New England region. He was also selected as a team member representing the New England region at the annual AAU-Karate national tournament on multiple occasions. During his career he has also collaborated with many other instructors of karate beyond Shotokan. Working with instructors in IsshinRyu, Kyokushinkai, Taekwondo, and GojuRyu has given him a deeper understanding of Shotokan and the applications of techniques. He has taught regular karate classes at University of Lowell, Fitchburg State, and Boston University. Over the years he has also worked with Sensei Nagao Matsuyama at the DoshiKai and teaches there as a rotating instructor. Location: West Townsend, MA
John O’Gara works in the medical device industry and began his martial arts training in Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do and Aiki-Jūjutsu while attending chemistry graduate school at UPenn in Philadelphia. He began Shotokan Karate in 1992 at University of Florida while completing a postdoctoral fellowship. Upon moving to the Boston area in 1993, he began training under Master Nagao Matsuyama at the Doshi Kai Karate dojo. John currently holds the rank of Nidan (2nd degree) under Matsuyama sensei and trains at the Doshi Kai dojo in Acton, MA. Location: Metrowest, MA
Barry Poitras is an electrical engineer and musician. He started his Shotokan Karate training in 1979. He currently holds the rank of Sandan (3rd degree) under Matsuyama sensei at Doshikai and trains at the Acton, MA location. Mr. Poitras founded the Doshikai Kendo and Iaido Dojo in 1994 and currently holds the rank of Godan (5th degree) in Kendo and Godan (5th degree) in Iaido. Location: Bedford, NH
Brandon Russell began training in Shotokan under Tabata sensei in 2003 at the Boston College Karate Club, where he served as a club officer and assistant instructor. Brandon was promoted to Shodan in 2007 just before graduation, and Nidan in 2012. From 2010 to 2017, Brandon was an instructor at the University of Connecticut – Avery Point Martial Arts Club, where he taught and trained alongside practitioners of Jujutsu, Tae Kwan Do, and Isshin Ryu Karate. Brandon has also trained in Tang Soo Do, reaching 2nd degree black belt. Currently he is an instructor and student at Tiger Mountain Shotokan Karate under Sensei Gayle Fleming in the Kearsarge, New Hampshire region, and attends NAKF events and Sunday training at Doshi-Kai in Acton, MA. Location: Nashua, NH
Professor Thomas Bernard Shea, a life-long Massachusetts resident, has trained for over 48 years in Shotokan karate, and holds a 7th degree black belt. He is a senior instructor of the NAKF, where he directed two of his own schools for decades and raised many of his own black belts, some of whom have gone on to direct schools of their own. He began his Martial Arts training in the early 1970’s under Master Kazumi Tabata while in college at UMass Boston. Shea trained with Tabata until Tabata’s passing in late 2020. He was fortunate to train with, and be instructed by, many of Tabata Sensei’s senior students. He is a Professor of Biological Sciences and a world-renowned scholar and researcher on Alzheimer’s disease. Professor Shea directs the Laboratory for Neuroscience at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, where he has trained the University’s karate club. He is the author of over 300 scientific works, including 5 textbooks. His articles on martial arts have appeared in Black Belt Magazine, Shotokan Karate Magazine and Karate Illustrated. His combined expertise as a Karate Instructor, Academic Professor, and Neuroscience Researcher allowed him to publish two books (Paper Wraps Rock; The Gentle Side of Karate and The Business Warrior/The Student Warrior) which provide unique insight into martial arts practice for health, well-being, and career advancement. Location: Lowell, MA
Paget Wharton has been involved in the Martial Arts world since 1970. He began his training in the Japanese art of Shotokan Karate Do under the leadership and instruction of Sensei Peter Larder of the UK and later under the instruction of Master Kazumi Tabata from Japan and Boston (USA). Mr. Wharton holds a 7th Dan Rank and has represented Bermuda in 4 WUKO now WKF World Championships and many other competitions. His affiliation with N.A.K.F. in America goes back to 1972. Mr. Wharton is married to Kendra and is the proud father of two daughters and has one grandson. Mr. Wharton is currently the owner/operator of G.C.P. Environmental Solutions Ltd. His complete bio is here. Location: Bermuda